Multiple unit tank car



Sept. 6, 1932. v. wlLLouGHBY MULTIPLE UNIT TANK CAR Filed NOV. 14, 1951 d- El IDL1/ Patented sept. 6, 1932 l Lamme UNITED; STATES PATENT voriicirT@ vieron WILLOUGHBY, or .Rinenwoon New. JERSEY, AssIciNoR Tov AMERICAN eAit AND -rouNi-onr,Y COMPANY, or NEW YORK, N.1Y.', A coRronATIoN or NEW` Jnnsn'ir j y MULTIrLE UNITy TANK CAB Application meal Novemnarv 14, 193i. seriaiiro. 575,013.

u This invention-relates generally te multiple unit tank cars and more particularly to the arrangement thereon of tanks transversely arranged and suchVV as are customarily used for'the transportation and storage of iiuids although it willof course be understood that the ariangemento partsand the principles employed herein are applicable totanks of various sizes, shapes and numbers; A y

One object of the invention is to provide an improved multi-unit tank car with tanks arranged transversely o the car andsuvpported by cradles arranged over. and supported by the center sills. 'V

Another object of the inventionlis te; provide improved means for securing tank units to the tank body such that a multiple unit tank car can be formed by securing tan-kunits toA cradles supported by or attached-nto `Y the center sills of a car of ordinary construction.

Itis laV further obj-,ect of the invention to Aprovide improved securing'meanswhich may be readily operated toY secure or release the 'tank units, which are of simple and rugged construction7 so formed that parts can not be lost when'rthe securing means are not holding tankunits in position, and whichmeans may readily'be secured to the floor of a car ofordinary construction. lL l.

Another object is to provide anchoring means arranged so as not only to `facilitate :loading and unloading of the tanks but'als'o veectivelyv distribute the anchoring stresses to the car-frame. i

f other obl-Gets and advantages wil-l'bejDfi-cre apparent to those Vslilledin the art by the .following descriptionlrof the accompanying drawing of which; y v

Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevation of a Vmultiple unit tank lcar with partsVr broken away and partly 4in central verticalse'ction, constructed vin' accordance with this: invention; t Y p Fig. 2 is va fragmentary top plan view, parts of one of the tank units being indicated iny dotted line andv another being shown: with parts broken away and partly showingthesecuring means; 1" Y i Fig. 3 isa transverse vertical section Ona larger scal'etaken on the l1ne'3-3of F1g.;2,

in section,

showing' a fragmentary si'deelevationhof one i l of the tank units, partly broken away and part shown in section, and showing the imanner of supporting and securingthe tankunits to thecar body, andi; Y.,

Fig. 4 is anenlarged fragmentary viewvof thetank lunit securing meansasj shown in In they specilic embodiments of the invention, which are shown hereinmerelyfor purposes of illustration, there is provided a flat car 'of ordinary construction having-a'rame f Y comprising a center sill l, side sills2, 1holsters 3. and cross-bearers 4, and coveredby floor sheets 5. The frame is supported ,on trucks carried by wheels (not shown). Supported by the center'siljl l are'the-.cradle members 7 secured by rivets or other suitable meansand, assshewn by the drawing'7 the securing means for the members 7 pass through the iioor sheets A''.and theV center sillcover'plate G and V*are secured to the center sill 1.. Eachv cradle consists oftwomei'nbers'f? and and each-mem- 'ber-7 isformed with seatsr'or receiving cylin- Y drical containers with their longitudinal vaxis arranged transversely. of the 'cani The seats are arranged in sets withy the adj acentends of adjacent sets spaced apart. yEach member-.fr '1s' formed of a plate, pressed. to :Zfbfar shape, as shown atl 8A (F ig. 3)' having itslower flange 9 turned inwardly.- `These Z-shaped plates areiormed at 'their'uppenportions into seats n conformingxtofthe contour .of cylindrical shaped container: tanks. Thesel plates fare joined at the top by thel cradle brace 10; which i is reinforced andgconnected thereto by gus- "setsY 1l. Betweeny the'cradle members? are vplaced a plurality of tank units IQfarranged Atransversely oftheA car, and while the drawing. showsy cradles for six tanks, asmany cradles and' tanks may be used as the length of the car willV permit. f

. To thebolsters 3 and cross-bearers 4 arejse! Vcuredspafced parallel longitudinal members f (enly onebeing shown in the drawing 'as these] members `are. identical)l V whichr are formed of; Z-bars hafvingtheir lower flangesv 14. .(Figs.. 3- Vand ll) turnediinwardly and-,secureidto the bolsters'f and' cross-bfearers'l by :rivets or other suitable securing means", andi:

reinforced by the angle bars 15 riveted to them and also to the bolsters 3 and cross-bearers 4. To the upper outwardly projecting flanges 16 of the Z-bars 13 are secured cast securing members or anchors 17 having their outer portions slotted with parallel slots 18 (Fig. 2) to receive the 'T-shaped bolts 19 which engage in openings 2O in tlieupper flanges 16 of the members 13. The inner end portions of the anchors 17 have upwardly eX- tending flanges 21 with outwardly flared ends which are shaped to conform with the inner surface of the lip 22 of the head flange of the tank container 12, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.- As shown in Fig. 4, the bolt 19, has its upper end threaded at 23 to receive the nut 24, and the upper threaded end is headed, as at 25, to prevent removal of the nut. As shown in Fig. 4 each anchor 17 has an integral flange 26 depending therefrom and arranged in surface contact with the web of the Z-bar and, as shown in the drawing, is adapted, in its secured position, to be held in contact with this web, thereby preventing any movement of thetank units transversely of the car, or rockingl of the anchors.

While the drawing shows a construction of a flat car using a floor it can be `readily seen that this invention can be also applied to an open frame car. y

Extending longitudinally of the `car along the ends of the cross beams are the spaced running boards 27 (only one being shown in the drawing as these members are identical) with guard rails 28. As shown in Fig. 3 the running boards are bolted to the crossbearers and side sills 2, at 29 and 30, respectively. The guard rail 28 is shown mounted in a socket carried by the bracket 31 as shown secured to the side sill 2 at 32 in Fig. 3. Before attaching the anchor members 17 to the Z-bars 13 the lower ends of two T-shaped bolts 19 are first inserted in the holes 2() in the Z-bar for receiving them. Over the upper or threaded ends of the bolts is fitted the anchor member, the slots 18 receiving the upper ends of these bolts. After the nuts 24 for securing the anchor members are put on, the upper ends of these bolts are headed, as shown at 25, to prevent the nuts from being removed. As shown in Fig. 4 the nuts 24 being larger than the slots 18 prevent the anchor members from'being detached, and hence their subsequent loss when not in use.

Assumina the tank units in place on the cradles 7, tlie anchors 17 (with their'nuts 24 loosened) are moved upwardly to a point where the diameter of the tank is greater than the length of member 17, then lowered until thc flared ends of their flanges 21 are brought into engagement with the chime 22 of the head flange of the tank unit 12. This is clearly shown in Fig. 2. When the nut 24 is set up the anchor is firmly clamped to the head flange of the tank unit and to the Z-bar -of the tanks longitudinally of the car so that in their secured position motion in any direc 'tion is prevented.

ln order to release the tank units the nuts y 24 will be unscrewed, releasing the pressure on the anchor member 17 and permitting these members to be lifted to clear the chime of the tank then slid back on the bolts 19 along the slots 18 clear of the head flanges, thus readily permitting removal of the tank units. lt will be further noted that the anchors 17 and their securing members are the only inembers it is necessary to loosen in order that the tank units may be remo-ved from the car. t will also be noted that subsequent loss of these securing members is prevented by the fact that the slot 18 in the anchor 17 is smaller than the nut l24 and the cooperation between the T-sliaped bolt and the annular flange 17A on the anchor 17 prevents that bolt from being withdrawn lfrom the hole 20 in the upper flangeof the Z-bar 13. The nut 24 is prevented from removal by the headed portion 25 of the bolt 19 clearly shown in Fig. 4.

It is readily seen that the tank units in their secured position in the cradles have their weight supported by the centersill, and

in this position their center of gravity will also be located at the center sill. Since this is the point of minimum rolling in the car the rolling moment of the contained fluid will be reduced and this moment and its weight being communicated to the center sill of the car, the arrangement of tank units described in'this invention will result in a much more uniform distribution of these forces on the car structure and consequently will reduce the wear and tear on the car which is clearly advantageous.

Attention is called to the direction of the lines of force of the chime engaging ends of the anchors. The anchors are moved downwardly'in the securing operation and the spaced ends engage the inner surface of the chime on lower opposite sides. The cradle seats contact with the outer surfaces of lower opposite sides of the tanks directly over the center silk-in full opposition to the pressures exerted bythe anchors, whereby the tanks are securely held against rolling, rotating, or bodily shifting in their seats.

. While a preferred specific embodiment of the invention is hereinbefore set forth, itis to 'be understood that l am not to be limited by the exact construction illustrated and described becausevarious modifications of these vention into practice within the purview of the appended claims. Y y

What is claimed is:

l. In a multi-unit tank car, a frame including a center sill, side'sills outwardly spaced therefrom, bolsters and cross-bearers, means for cradling a plurality of tanks transversely on said frame, said means comprising cradle frames mounted on the center sill 1 whereby the load strain is transmitted directly to the center sill, and' anchor means supported by the holsters and cross-bearers engageable with the tank ends for forcing the CID tanks against the cradle frames.

2. In a multi-unit tank car, a frame in cluding a center sill, seating means on the center sillfor a row of transversely arranged. tanks, the last said means comprising` movable anchor members introducible to the tank ends, and moving and securing devices there. for. s

3. In a multi-unit tank car, a frame' comprising a center sill, spaced seating members on the sill arranged to contact opposite lower sides respectively of chimed tanks positioned v transversely of the frame, an anchorage on the frame for each end of each tank comprising a member having spaced engaging ends adapted to contact respectively with the inner surface of lower opposite sides of the tank chime, and means for moving said member to secured position on the frame my hand.

versely arranged seating surfaces for receiving and holding tanks transversely of the underframe, and anchor members supported by the underframe and adapted to engage the end portions of thel tanks.

' 7. A cradle unit for multieunit tank cars comprising a pair of cradle members, Z-A

shaped in general cross section and each provided with a seating surface and a rigid ele ment extending between and vconnecting Asaid members to reinforce vthe latter and to retainv the same in spaced relation.

8. A cradle unit for multi-unit tank cars comprising a pair of members Z-shaped in general cross section and so formed as to provide tank receiving areas, said members being oppositely arranged to providcuinwardly extending attaching flanges, and' a rigid member extending between and connecting said members.

Injwitness whereof I have hereunto set I vieron vWILL@Usi-init.

thereby pressing the tanks againstsaid 0p s Y posite lower side seats.

4. In a multi-unit tank car including an underframe provided with a center sill, side sills, holsters and cross-bearers, a plurality yof spaced pairs of cradle members secured r to the center sill and positioned immediately thereabove, said cradle members being ar ranged longitudinally of the underframe and being so formed asto provide transversely y transversely arranged tank receiving seats.

and a rigid element extending between and connecting the cradle members of each pair.

6. In a multi-unit tank car, an underframe including a center sill, cradle members secured to the center sill andiarranged longitudinally of the underframe',.said cradle members being arranged in spaced pairs and being so formed as to provide alined trans-V 

